Just as Nigerians were nursing the hope that the prices of staple food items would fall at harvest season, the prices have started to go through the roof.

A countrywide survey by our correspondents indicates that the prices of food items are rising beyond the reach of the average Nigerian, an aftermath of the devastating floods that have hit most states of the country.

Many states are recording between 200 and 300 per cent rise in the prices of food items like garri, beans and rice, among others.

Five months ago, our survey in Lagos had found that the prices of some staple foods had risen by 300 per cent, though major food dealers said then that prices would drop during the harvest season.

The cost of importation, insecurity, global climatic change, partial removal of fuel subsidy and lack of a food policy were said to be partly responsible for the hike.

With all these factors still present and the recent floods that have swept through most states in the country, the hope of price reduction is waning.

Amidst this, the Federal Government had in line with its self-sufficiency rice policy (by 2015) proposed a 10 per cent duty, plus a 100 per cent levy on imported polished rice in the 2013 budget.

Notable as the FG’s self-sufficiency initiatives are, they have come under severe scrutiny by members of the public, who contend that in the obvious absence of locally-grown rice on account of the floods, there should be a relaxed policy on imported brands.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s inflation rate was officially put at 11.7 per cent in August 2012, compared to 12.8 per cent recorded in July, according to a recent report from the National Bureau of Statistics.

Though the inflation rate dropped, the NBS said the composite food index increased year-on-year by 9.9 per cent to 135.9 points in August 2012, down from 12.1 per cent in July 2012.

The relative moderation of food prices in August came and later snapped, according to the NBS, owing to a number of factors, including higher prices of fish, oils and fats, as well as increase in imported food prices. This trend ensured that the full benefit of a drop in inflation did not manifest in food prices drop.

The prices of staple food items in Kogi State, especially in Lokoja, have skyrocketed a month after floods ravaged about 334 communities in nine local government areas of the state.

More than 152,272 hectares of farmland were submerged by the floods, according to the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Michael Abu.

A random survey conducted at Old Market and International Market, Lokoja, on Wednesday showed an increase in the prices of many food items. This has been linked to the recent flooding in the state, which rendered many Kogi residents homeless, and destroyed many farmlands.

A staple food dealer at Old Market, Mrs. Aminat Suleiman, said essential food items had witnessed a sharp price increase. Suleiman said that a bag of beans that sold for N6,500 and N7,000 before the floods is now N14,000.

According to her, yellow garri, which is common and sold for N6,500 a bag, currently goes for N9,000. White garri, formerly sold for N5,500 per bag, now goes for N8,000.

She added that a bucket of yellow garri formerly sold at N350 now sells for N450 to N500, while a bucket of white garri, which previously cost N200, now costs between N350 and N400.

Suleiman said, “A few weeks ago, a paint bucket of beans ‘Oloyin’ specie of beans went for N200, but it is now N600 a bucket, while the other lower brand otherwise known as ‘Olotu’ previously sold for N750, now goes for N1,500. A cup of beans commonly referred to as Derica is now N250.”

Miss Rose Ajayi said that a carton of popular brand of noodles, which formerly went for N1,750, currently goes between N2,050 and N3,000.

Another trader, Mr. Rufus Alade, said that a bag of brand of rice called ‘Agric rice’ previously sold for N6,700 now goes for N7,500. He added that other brands of rice like ‘Mama Gold’ and ‘Royal Umbrella’, which were sold at N9,280 now go for N10,000.

Another trader, Kayode Ahmed, said that prices of onion and Irish potato had also soared.

“A bag of onion ranged between N6,000, to N6,500 few weeks ago, but currently a bag of onion is N25,000. This is quite high and it is even difficult for us to recoup the cost of purchase not to talk of profit making,” he said.

A trader, who deals in groundnut oil and palm oil, Alhaji Shakirat Yekini, said that 25 litres of palm oil previously sold between N5,500 and N5,800 now goes for N7,000 to N7,300. A yam, dealer, Mr. Alfred Umaru, said that a tuber of yam which previously sold for N200, now goes for between N350 to N400.

In Awka, the effect of the flooding that swept through the food basket of Anambra State has begun to take a toll on the prices of foodstuff in the state.

A survey of the Nkwo Amaenyi Market and the Eke Awka Market in Awka showed a rapid rise in the prices of foodstuff. Before the flooding, the price of a ‘Painter’ (small gallon of paint) that used to be N240 is now N400. A cup of ‘iron’ beans that used to be N35 is now N90.

A cup of brown beans that was N35 before the flooding is now N80, while a cup of local beans that was N25 is now N45.

A measure of dried Mangala fish that was N200 is now N300. Fiofio, a brand of local beans that used to be N35 is now N50.

A 50cl bottle of palm oil that was N200 is now N240, while a 50cl bottle of groundnut oil that was N400 is now N420. A small tuber of yam that was N200 is now N250. But the price of rice has not changed.

In spite of the rising rates, there are fears that the prices will go up considering that the areas affected by the floods are the food basket of the state.

Mrs. Virginia Okeke, who sells foodstuff at Amaenyi Market, said food prices were likely to increase because the market at Otuocha was affected by the floods.

Two local government areas – Anambra West and Ogbaru – considered to be the food basin of Anambra, were completely submerged, while Anambra East, Ayamelum, Awka North, Ihiala and Ekwusigo, also noted for producing food and fish, were partially submerged.

However, reports by our correspondent in Enugu State said the Eastern Zonal Executive Council of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities said the flood had not made a noticeable impact on food prices yet because the state witnessed only about two serious cases of flooding.

Mrs. Nkemdil Uchendu, a trader at New Market in Enugu, said, “No food item has increased in price. If there is any, it could be on the basis of supply, distribution and other market challenges, not necessarily the floods.”

In Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, our correspondent reported that the head of the butchers at Kuto Market, Alhaji Samsudeen Balogun, said the problem of flooding in some parts of the North where they usually got their supplies, had continued to affect the prices of cattle, sheep and goat.

Balogun said the current situation had led to a hike in the prices of livestock by suppliers.

He said that an average sized cow that used to sell for about N100,000 some months ago now goes for N250,000, while a goat, which used to go for N10,000, now costs double.

“We usually buy the cow from the sellers from the North at Olodo Market in Ibadan and some other places. The price has increased and they told us that it is as a result of flooding and insecurity in the North,” Balogun said.

“In fact, we do a lot of persuasion and bargaining before they would sell to us even at the new prices. If we don’t buy the cow, there will be shortage of meat and our customers will suffer. We pray that God should bring the problems in the North to a quick end.”

The pepper and onion sellers at the market however said that though their supplies were affected by the flooding in the North, they had an alternative source.

According to them, they have the opportunity of sourcing their supplies from some parts of the South-West.

Mrs. Yusuf Alake, one of the pepper sellers, noted that in spite of this, the prices of these ingredients had increased compared to the recent past.

At the Fruit Garden Market in Port Harcourt, a basin of garri, which cost N1,800 last September had risen to between N4,000 and N4,500, while a cup of beans that sold for N65 per cup currently goes for N100.

A rubber of fresh tomato, which was sold for N250 before the advent of the floods in some parts of the country, now sells for N400. The price of pepper has not changed as it still stands at N150 a rubber.

A custard rubber filled with fresh tomato is currently N1,100 as against the old price between N700 and N800, depending on the freshness of the item.

At the Fruit Garden Market, a bag of Mama Gold rice is now N11,000 as against N9,500, which it was sold before September 2012. The price of a cup of beans, which stood at between N60 to N70 now sells at N100.

A food stuff seller, Mr. John Okoro, blamed the astronomical increase in the prices of beans, rice, garri and tomato on the flooding of some parts of the country.

“When the cost of transporting these food items is very high, the effect will be on the cost of the food items. That is why we are experiencing this increase in the price of some of the foodstuffs,” Okoro argued.

Also, Esther Chibueze, who sells plantain at Mile One Market, said a bunch of plantain now goes for N2,200 as against N1,500. Chibueze attributed the increase in price to the floods in Bayelsa and Rivers states.

According to her, moving food items like plantain from the farm is difficult due to the flooded areas in the South-East and South-South zone of the country.

The prices of staple food items have also increased in Calabar and other major towns in Cross River State following the devastating effect of flooding and other natural disasters occasioned by climate change.

At the popular Etim Edem, Watt and Marian markets, a milk cup of beans, which was formerly sold for N30 or N40, now sells for N70, depending on the variety. A small 5kg bag of beans currently sells for N2, 000.

A bag of garri, which used to be sold for N11, 000 now sells for N16, 000.

A bottle of groundnut oil now sells for N260, while the same bottle of palm oil which was sold before at N160 now sells for between N200 and N220.

A trader at the Etim Edem Market in Calabar, Mr. Linus Chukwu, said, “The floods have affected farmers greatly, especially the cassava farmers and that resulted in the rise in prices.”

Residents of Abuja, have also been feeling the effects of the floods. Investigations showed a noticeable increase in the prices of foodstuff in the markets at Kubwa and Utako. Some traders told Saturday PUNCH that the price of garri had increased tremendously because of the floods.

For instance, a bag of garri, which was N7,000, now sells for N14,000, representing 1000 percent increase in price. The traders said that the flooding in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country was responsible for the rise in the price of garri.

According to them, several people from states in the Niger Delta, especially Delta, have been besieging Abuja to buy cassava in large quantities.

The prices of goat meat are also prohibitive with a medium-sized cut costing about N1,500.

Traders blame the high cost of foodstuff from the farms and the hike in transport fares for the general rise in the cost of other commodities.

A meat seller, Ibrahim Abubakar, said that cattle dealers found it difficult to transport their livestock from the North, adding that the flooding in parts of the country was responsible for the hike in food prices.

Curiously, the prices of imported rice also rose from N9000 to N11, 000. Also, a kilogram of salt was increased from N70 to N100.

However, the effect of the floods on price of yam was not as high.

At the Giri junction on the Abuja Airport Road, yam sellers now sell 10 tubers of fresh yam for N2000 as against the initial price of N1,500 for 10 tubers of yam of average sizes.

Elsewhere in the capital, food prices have continued to soar even as the floodwaters recede.

A separate survey carried out in Dutse, PW and Kubwa Markets showed a slight increase in the prices of food items like rice, beans, yam, tomato, onion as well as fresh pepper.

In Lagos, the cost of imported rice ranges between N8,000 and N10,000 per bag depending on the brand. But market forces ignited by the flooding, tariff on imported polished rice among others, threaten to push the price up, especially as the festive seasons are approaching.

Rice dealers said that the price should shot up in some weeks’ time because of the floods that have washed large rice farmlands away.

The floods, the worst in 30yrs, submerged property, farmlands, and the Niger Bridge, the link between the north and the south of the country.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology has called on the Federal Government to properly manage the issue of flooding in the country so as to prevent food scarcity.

The institute said that devastation caused by the flooding in some parts of the country, if not properly handled, might lead to further devastation.

i feel bad for Nigeria. nothing seems to be working. Dear Jonathan, please do something. you need to act fast. no fuel, flood everywhere, unemployment, e.t.c.

Please you just have to do something.

Nick

JONATHAN’S GOVT IS THE WORST EVER

DOKUN OJOMO

@ Nick,

i disagree with you. the only problem is that he is not smart.

Edaphiago

I think DOKUN OJOMO I dis agrree with you Jonathan is mumu and smart in stealing Nigerians money se bi he is ur brother why can u beg him to enrolled you with ex militants and get your share

Nicebaby247

@ Dokun Ojomo, i disagree with you and @Nick. He is not smart but He is your President that makes him smarter than you. HE IS FOR NOW NIGERIAN PRESIDENT mind the way you address him.

Nicebaby247

Why are talking like that? Are you not in Nigeria? What are you doing to help? Are you leaving it for the President alone? Boko Haram are there disturbing, the kidnappers are there too. Please do not blame our President, He is really doing his best

Alhaji Maigworo

Can you guys now see that the rest of the country needs the north. We all need one another in a united nation

DOKUN OJOMO

@ Maigworo,

Yes we all need one another.. .

Nicebaby247

@Alhaji Maigworo, that is what you guys in the North wants in the first place that is why you are disturbing the country with Boko haram so that people like Nick and Dokun will say the President is not doing anything. You people from the North started all these calamity that befalls Nigeria today

ohakpu

Where is mr president now with his empty promise.Jonathan, pls if you love Ng then go away and allow the capable to do the job.

prieye

@ Nick. Stop whining mate and get over it. Uncle Jonah is here to stay

ohakpu

Alhaji Maigworo
Can you guys now see that the rest of the country needs the north. We all need one another in a united nation

Stupid man the North for what? North my ass.

GbemigaO

He is right though! You will need to be importing food from the northern country and they will charge export duties etc. do you have enough arable land to feed yourself in the south? Or can you produce all food items in the south to feed everybody?

kokoCamille

Nigeria needs Biowish. The only way they will recooperate from these floods and aftermath is to use Biowish environmental products and Biowish agricultural products. Biowish is the most powerful enzyme in the world. contact Biowish Africa .com for more info. SERIOUSLY

Mike

THIS DAMN FLOOD ISSUE HAS GIVEN EVERY GREEDY FOOD TRADER A REASON TO CHARGE EXORBITANT PRICES FOR FOOD.THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE HAVE A GOVERNMENT THAT IS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT SHARING OIL BLOCKS, THAN UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD SECURITY AND PROVIDING AUDITED AND TRANSPARENT AID PROCESS FOR GENUINE FOOD PRODUCERS AND THEIR SUPPORT INDUSTRIES.

Aiye-Kooto

Who is that capable one amongst these bunch of crooks calling themselves politicians???Except God saves us from them!!!

Rommeny

the north should first tackle their boko problem, u guys shuld vote 4 me cos i ll make Nigeria work again

Proverd

thank God for the flood,because it exposes the kind of past and present leaders we have,better for them to learn their lesson not to enrich their pockets with public fund,the blood of innocent shed as a result of mismanagement are asking for vengeance.God have mercy on us.let them know that they will held accountable for their evil ways,here or after life.

Tsaga rana

Most nothern cities don’t have much inflation of food items

Tsaga rana

Idon’t why educated-illiterates are so skeptical and narrow-minded.

massive emmigration

why is it that no good news ever come out from this land call nigeria,split split split

nigg

DO YOU NEED 24/7 FAST AND FREE UNLIMITED INTERNET ACCESS ON YOUR COMPUTER? CALL ZERO-SEVEN-ZERO-THREE-6550-0430 TO GET CONNECTED TODAY.(NOTE- ITS FOR ONLY THOSE IN LAGOS).

muritala elujoba

A stich in time………serious RED ALERT to FG,State Govt,LGA & other stakeholders

Chidiebere

ANYONE WHO WANTS THE DISMEMBERMENT OF THIS COUNTRY IS MYOPIC IN THEIR VIEWS.FORMER USSR DISINTEGRATED.IS ANY OF THE REPUBLICS THAT CAME OUT OF THE UNION STRONGER THAN AMERICA?ARE PAKISTAN AND BANGLADESH BETTER THAN INDIA THAT THEY BROKE AWAY 4RM? HAS ERITREA OR SOUTH SUDAN BECOME ELDORADO SINCE THEY LEFT ETHIOPIA AND SUDAN RESPECTIVELY? CAN ANY COUNTRY IN EUROPE TAKE 4 GRANTED THE ECONOMIC AND MILITARY STRENGTH OF A UNITED GERMANY? WE NEED ONE ANOTHER

Steve

We don’t need the North for anything, whoever says we need the North is being economical with the truth. What countries like Japan, do they borow Northners or their farmland for farming? Please these Cattle Rearers should wakeup from their wild dream of feedind the nation.

Nicebaby247

Thank you jare @Steve.

Chidiebere

METHINKS NIGERIA SHALL RISE FROM THE ASHES OF SOCIO-POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CRISES TO BECOME A BEACON OF HOPE 4 THE BLACK RACE.SAY amen !

jonnibless

We as a nation have deviated from GOD’s laid down standard. All we are witnessing is a sign of GOD’s warnings to the land.From importation of Obama’s permissive wills to political scandals,we need to seek HIS mercy for Nigeria.Mr President is only an escape goat in ignorance.

S. Paul

And the Minister for Agriculture has been feeding the President lies by telling us that the floods will not result in food scarcity or rise in prices. Sometimes I wonder whether people who are appointed into govt/political offices leave their brains behind when they take up such offices. It is not rocket science. Once there is a disaster, there’s bound to be food scarcity and rise in prices of food. If they cannot manage the situation, at least they should be honest with the public. We’re not dumb!

Kola

We always got wrong set of people in government, they do not cross check and make reference to their earlier reports- just rushing making statement into thinking they know what they are doing. Just like the case of energy renewal campaign that is going through the western countries, Nigeria government says they were shocked that US government had lessen the quantities of oil it import from Nigeria. Do the characters runnng this country call nigeria think the US governent are stupid like they were, No, they look inward to save money and to champion an alternative source, and explore their oil depositary reserves. Nigeria government ought to have know that the tide are changing and their arm chair ambassadors just sits in the offices doing nothing, who knows if they exist anyway. As I always say and continue to say, this country is complete shit and doomed!!

SULAIMAN

Definitely, we need to be one Nation. Can the South feed the people with low production of food crops?. The problem with the Nation rests on the bad and selfish leaders within the corridors of power

wasiu

I believe it’s about time we washed our morals and call on GOD to restore the glory of our dear nation-NIGERIA

aden

The whole world needs to be praying for Nigeria to be lifted out of the bondage that there government keeps there people in. In times of need everyone should help there brothers and sisters. We are all human..

Earlyman

Chidiebere @ this stage u’re still talking soci_political in nigeria… u are pretty myopic nigeria needs to be disintegrate let everyone moves with it’s socio_ethnic group if this major is taken there would be peace, for the flood is a natural disaster it requires rational reasoning is never an easy task..government is human being & not God.

Henrietta Lawoyin

My dear brothers and sister lets learn to respect people especially our leaders.Do you know that your ideas, suggestion and comments have a more reaching,imparting,&pentrating effect on people when made with respect? Thank you all for contributing your quota.

ozaluoku

A MESSAGE THAT WILL HIT THE COMMON MASSES NOT THE PEOPLE THAT WANTS US TO FEED ON CASSAVA BREAD

titi

I sorry for Nigerians. That country is not a country, and the people that live in it are not human being at all coz they dont know what they need.

Spokesperson for the Senate Unity Forum, Senator Kabir Marafa, saying his colleagues passed a vote of confidence in Dr. Bukola Saraki’s senate leadership in order to spite President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress leadership.